SOCW 106 - Social Welfare History

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This course introduces social policy making in the United States. The course examines the history of events and ideas that have shaped American social welfare policy from the colonial period to the present. An examination of social values, economic trends, and criminal justice decisions helps students develop an understanding of the role of the social work profession in social policy development.

Prerequisite SOCW 101 Corequisite SOCW 101

Text
Axinn, June, and Mark J. Stern. Social Welfare: a History of the American Response to Need. 9th ed. Pearson, 2018.

Objectives
The students will be able to

A. Describe the history of the American social welfare system.

B. Apply historical knowledge of policy development to current social welfare policies.

C. Explain the social, political, and economic forces inherent in social welfare policy development.

D. Assess the limits and strengths of individual policies and the ramifications for society.

Content
A. History of the American social welfare system

B. Historical impact on current social welfare policy

C. Forces inherent in social welfare policy development

D. Policy impact on society

Student Evaluation
Objectives A - D will be evaluated through essays, exams, class presentation and current events journals.